West Valley City parking specialists outline 'dirty dozen' violations and explain enforcement, appeals

Parking compliance specialists for West Valley City used an online community Q&A to walk residents through the city’s “parking dirty dozen,” enforcement steps and how to appeal citations.

Moderator introduced parking specialists Neil and Elvadin and asked the panel to define the so-called dirty dozen, the list the city uses to explain its most frequent parking violations. A parking compliance specialist said, “It kind of goes over most of our common violations, snow on the roadway, parking across mailboxes, blocking sidewalks and crosswalks, blocking fire hydrants, fire lanes on private property,” and emphasized that the rules are grounded in safety and neighborhood quality of life.

The panel highlighted several specific rules residents should know. Officers enforce a 72-hour on-street parking limit, the specialist said: “72 hours, we have a ordinance that, is enforced for parking 72 hours. You cannot park longer than 72 hours on the roadway. We come out, mark your tires, leave a warning on your vehicle. If we come back, we will cite you.” Staff also reminded residents that parking more than 12 inches from the curb can make streets too narrow for traffic and emergency apparatus, and that vehicles must be parked at least 30 feet from stop signs to preserve sight lines.

On appeals and payments, specialists directed residents to the city’s online payment and appeal portal (wvc.rmcpay). Within 10 days of a citation a vehicle owner may pay or submit an appeal and upload evidence such as a registration or sale documentation. The panel said officers can also use a vehicle’s VIN when plates are missing.

Panelists described the division’s typical operations: enforcement is largely complaint-driven, and officers often check surrounding blocks so a single complaint does not target only one resident. After screening, staff said they try to educate first-time or out-of-state drivers—handing flyers or issuing warnings—unless a violation creates a safety hazard or the driver refuses to cooperate.

Several practical examples drew specific guidance: RVs, boats and trailers may be on the street for 24 hours at the property’s registered address to prepare for use but cannot be stored there indefinitely; parking perpendicular (nose-in) inside a cul-de-sac is illegal because it can block garbage collection and emergency access; and vehicles parked on private lawns are a code enforcement issue, not a parking-division matter.

For requests to change parking signage or designate no-parking zones, specialists said residents should contact the city’s Traffic/Sign Shop through CityWorks to request a traffic study; the traffic division determines signage and the parking division enforces whatever signs are posted. To file parking complaints, the panel urged residents to use CityWorks (preferred) so the parking division and council are copied; the division phone number provided was (801) 963-3313.

The session closed with a reminder that the division is distributing informational flyers across neighborhoods to reduce repeat violations and that residents who want to address a specific hazardous location can request a focused traffic study via CityWorks. The moderator announced the next community meeting would be held Wednesday, March 25 at 12 p.m.